Image: Upward.
Last Updated: July 2025
Overview:
Chef Michael Rafidi first branched out from the legendary Albi with the café Yellow. La’ Shukran pushes in a new direction. Like Yellow’s mix of Levantine flavors with French pastries, the menu here is an intentional mixing of sources and traditions. The cooking is more playful than the more traditional Albi. That attitude matches the setting. Located around the corner and upstairs from the Union Market Yellow, the room is a compact dining area, a large bar, and a doorway to a rooftop deck. As the kids say, it’s a vibe.
Initially described as a place where the sights, sounds, and flavors of the coolest neighborhoods of Beirut, Haifa, Ramallah, and Paris mix. Some of the now standard dishes on the menu reflect that French-Arab mix like kebab steak au poivre and escargot over hummus. However, the influences also extend beyond even that rich sourcing. A fried rice with lamb, buttered almonds and pickled apricot draws from East Asia, and scallops wrapped in ramp leaves with Maryland crab and popping peas is a New American “bay to table” dish of Spring. But those are merely ingredient descriptions to give a sense. What it misses is that La’ Shukran serves transcendent yet fun bites. Our special correspondent called it the best meal of 2025.
The food, as great as it is, gets equal billing with the beverage program. There is more room for drinking (counting the 13 seat bar and the rooftop space) than proper sit-down dining. Cocktails heavily lean into the anise-flavor of arak. Attention extends to the spirit-free options, especially the Yansoon of pineapple, ginger, anise seedlip and saffron. The wine list is from William Simon, who has worked with Rafidi since the first days of Albi. It is low intervention in focus, with balanced options that are interesting in their own right, but often subtle enough to match with the multi-faceted nature of the cuisine.
Other Guidance: There is a flight of stairs up to the restaurant without an elevator. GF and vegetarians can do well. The vibe is casual, but the crowd can be pretty cool.
Summary:
Cuisine: Eastern Mediterranean
Neighborhood: Union Market
Address: 417 Morse St NE 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20002 (down the alley)
Website: https://www.lashukran.com/
Reservations: Resy
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Sonia Rao fills in for Tom, and says, it is an effortlessly cool cousin to Rafidi’s other joints.
Washingtonian: Preview. #25 in 2025 Top 100.